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Friday, February 12, 2010

Open letter to Tom Ricketts, new Cubs owner

Mr. Tom RickettsChicago Cubs1060 W Addison StChicago IL 60613-4305

Dear Mr. Ricketts:

I read about the proposed upgrades to Wrigley Field in the newspaper on Feb. 10. If you take a walk around Wrigley Field and compare it to other ballparks, I’m sure you would come to the same conclusion I did: the entire grandstand needs to be razed and replaced with a new, modern edifice. The new seating areas would include a luxury box level behind home plate; a club level; first-class skyboxes; a spacious upper deck; plentiful concessions stands and wide concourses. The players would enjoy a modern clubhouse and indoor batting/workout area. I hope you will work with an architect that will guide you through these plans and bring them to fruition before the aging structure collapses and hurts someone.

Just as important to the Cubs’ future success is a night-game schedule that resembles those of the Cubs’ league rivals. If you speak to the manager, coaches and players, they would likely tell you how important it is to play 55 home games at night, like their rivals do. Wrigley’s Friday matinees are especially hard on players, as other teams play all 13 Friday home games at night. There are far too many weekday matinees—27 this year, excluding Opening Day and Labor Day—while other clubs play five or fewer. Fans should not be forced to take days off to see the Cubs. Television revenue also suffers.

All that stands between the Cubs and a regular night-game schedule is Ald. Tom Tunney. He helped the Cubs revise their night-game agreement with the city in 2003. If you demonstrate to the alderman your commitment to revitalizing the neighborhood and bringing home a World Series championship, he would surely listen to your scheduling concerns.

Thank you very much for your attention to these important matters. Go Cubs!